Posts from — January 2008

SU31, PU31, Run 11M, (2:05:28) Avg. Pace (11:24), Bike 15M (48:26) Avg. Pace (3:14), Temp: 14˚, Humidity: 55%

Another Y day. Not going out in the cold. I saw a lot some people out on the river running, but I decided that it wasn’t for me. I even hated the walk from the parking lot of the Y – let alone eleven miles. Now you know why this blogs called the IronWimp instead of the “The Man With Great Big Iron Ones!” I like the treadmill right now – it makes it easy for me to pace myself. I ran one section – the final mile almost – at 9:50. Pretty cool. Hopefully, I’ll have some kick left when I cross the finish line in September. I’m still slower running than I was last June. My plan is to increase my time each week that I run. We’ll see how it goes.

SU31/30, PU31/30, Bike 15M (48:34) Avg, Pace (3:14), Temp: 40˚, Humidity: 31%

Y day again. Still tired, but it was a good workout. Once I get started, the machine takes over.

SU30/30, PU30/30, Run 2 Miles (23.04) Avg. Pace (11:32), Temp: 21˚ F, Humidity: 53%

Another Y day. Oh well, sometimes life happens. Didn’t get my whole run in or have time for the ride. But part is better than nothing.

SU30/29, PU30/29, Run 11 Miles (2:06:06) Avg. Pace (11:28), Bike 15M (47.59), Avg, Pace (3.12), Temp: 36˚ F, Humidity: 49%

Cold and wet – another day at the Y. Met Sy – a trainer. She didn’t see to get it, I think. I’m pretty sure she thought I was crazy and, if she were to vote in my poll, her answer would be “Hell, no! I can hear the desperation already. Flame On!” Reading Your First Triathlon by Joel Friel. Enjoying it a lot. I’m at that awkward stage where I want to talk about triathlon stuff, but I don’t really know anything. Nutrition, training, all that stuff kind of stumbles out of my mouth when I’m trying to explain it to someone. I’m also at that stage where I want to talk about triathlon stuff ad naseum. All my friends and family are starting to get this hunched over defensive look when I walk in the room. Oh well! Friel talks about this too!

Every so often, I forget and type my stats into a BMI calculator. It always pisses me off. I hate being called obese – especially since I’m not. I’m just dense – thank you very much. I have a waist-to-hip ration of .86 – which according to this article at MSNBC is good for a man (below .95), but not so good for a woman (below .8) – fortunately I don’t have to worry about the latter. It makes me wonder about the new obesity epidemic that all the media is screaming about – real or just junk numbers based on bad science. On the down side, they called me “pear shaped” which I thought was uncalled for since my top half (my chest) is just as big as my hips. The pears I’m familiar with are usually a little “broad in the beam” as my dad used to say. They must mean a GMO pear.

Rest Day!

I’ve got to admit, typing that phrase is becoming one of the chief pleasures in my life.

SU29/28, PU29/28, Run 13 Miles (2:35) Avg, Pace (11:55), Bike 40M (2:44:19), Avg, Pace (4:06), Temp: 22˚ F, Humidity: 45%

God, what a day! I thought it would never end. I rolled out of bed, met my brother for coffee (fun) and then headed off to the Y to run/bike (not so much). Once again, I was oblivious to HOW LONG THIS EXERCISE STUFF TAKES! I get there, start running. Immediately, I start sweating, not the ordinary Y lifting weights – doing my little workout sweat, but MARATHON FLOP SWEAT! After I passed 5 miles my shirt is totally soaked, the body glide that I put on my chest to keep my nipples from bleeding while I run has stuck my blue nylon running shirt to my chest. Everyone’s looking at me like, “is this guy possessed? Something’s clearly not right here!”. On top of that, I don’t use an Ipod, so I’m running on the treadmill, chanting to myself, my lips moving and I look bad. How do I know? I could see myself in the darn mirrors they have everywhere. At least when you run outside, you can still have the illusion that, “You look MARVELOUS!” But anyway, after spending the whole day at the Y, they closed before I could get done, so then I had to come home and finish up on the exercise bike here – another hour! Oh well, I still had some old Monk episodes on Tivo.

I have Reynaud’s Syndrome – aka “White Finger Disease.” My hands and feet get cold and turn white, then blue, and then red as they warm back up. Wikipedia has an article here. I’ve started noticing that all this exercise can cause it to occur. They say other triggers besides cold are stress. I always thought they meant mental stress, but I guess they meant physical stress, ’cause it’s happening. Joy! Joy! The other thing I noticed is I need some more food – “the engine needs fuel!” I took two gel packs and two Gator Aides and I was still crashing when they kicked us out at the Y. I got home and ate some cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese so I could finish up.

SU28, PU28, Bike 10M

I biked indoors today. If you can’t handle the cold, join a health club – my new motto. Well, I did need the pool for swimming too. No way am I going in the river. Although my friend Leslie, a Master’s Swimmer, joins a group of swimmers who swim out at Skiatook Lake during the summer after the water warms up a bit. I got on the right type of exercise bike today.

SU28/27, Run 10M (2:50), Avg. Pace (12:30), Bike 10M, Temp: 23˚, Humidity: 62%

Signed up for the YMCA today. I’m still not starting swimming until next month, but I thought I’d take advantage of their New Year’s 1/2 off the membership fee. They’ve got the coldest pool in town (82˚). Plus, it was bloody cold and it snowed this morning. Didn’t want to be out in all that nastiness. Ran on a treadmill, biked on a stationary bike. It was an odd feeling. First time I’d every really run on a treadmill. I discovered something about my pace today. I guess I’m usually all over the place with my pace, on a treadmill you don’t have that option. I got on, set the speed and away I went. I got off for a drink at 6 miles and then hopped back on for the final four. I did my speed run on the final quarter mile – increased my pace to 9 minutes a mile. I was huffing when I finished and slapped the big red “STOP” button. When I had hit the button earlier at a slower pace, the treadmill came to an immediate stop. I stepped a couple of times and it was done. This time it didn’t work that way. I took my final two steps and stopped. Well, the treadmill didn’t. I kind of shot off the end of it right in front of the cute trainer who was helping the woman a couple of machines down. Oh well. At least I didn’t twist an ankle. The recumbent exercise bike was different too. I wasn’t planning on a recumbent, but I didn’t see the regular exercise bikes until I was midway through my 10 miles, so I just kept going. I think I was overheating inside. I’m used to being outside where it’s colder.

SU27/27, PU27/27, Bike 10M (44:00) Avg, Pace (4:24), Temp: 47˚, Humidity: 67%

Cold out there today. It’s funny, but when I run I tend to make up chants, mantras, something like, “Pick up feet, land on toes” otherwise I just start counting: one, two, three, four, over and over. I started the chant thing after I noticed that I inevitably just counted – surely there must be something better to do than count to four! However, when I’m biking, I guess there’s too much going on. I’m pushing for speed on the petals, watching the road, looking out for slow walkers taking up the whole bloody trail, etc. that I don’t really have time to either count or chant. Maybe when I get more comfortable on the bike that will change. I wonder how that compares to the Army counting cadence?

SU27/26, PU27/26, Run 10 Miles (2:09:04), Avg, Pace (12:54), Bike 10M (47:03) Avg, Pace (4:36), Temp: 52˚, Humidity: 38%

Tired and grumpy when I started, happy when I finished. Got to love those endorphins. Never met one I didn’t like! Still slow, but I’ll pick up the pace. I keep adding miles and my body’s not sure it can do it yet. Get in line body, I’m not sure I can do it yet! Part of the clasp on my bike helmet fell off and I couldn’t wear it. Finally just biked over to my brother’s house and borrowed his. Way to go bro! Love living close to family. Another beautiful sunset. The homeless man I met on Monday was out today, he wanted to tell me stories about his running. He seemed much better today. His stories were a little scary – he got tazered by someone either on the Oakland A’s or just wearing a jersey. I listened for awhile, but then I had to keep on – I still had to bike and I don’t like running on the river after dark.